Game device.



S. G. OSBORNE.

' I GAME DEVICE.

APPLl'CATION FILED FEB. 12. 1.915.

1,161,326. Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

WITNESSES. W {mum (MW g g INVEI'VT0R W Sydney Gflsbomg- BY Mm I TTOR/VEYSYDNEY G. OSBORNE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YGRK.

GAME DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

Application filed February 12, 1915. Serial No. 7,658. i

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SYDNEY G. OSBORNE, acitizen of the United States, and residing at Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Game Devices, of which the following is a specification,such as will enable those skilled in the rt to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to game devices, and the object thereof is toprovide an improved game or game device which will amuse and entertainboth young and old and in the playing of which any amount of skill maybe exercised; a further object being to provide means for playing animproved game which I call the game of Trenches; and with these andother objects in view the invention consists in a game deviceconstructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, ofwhich the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate partsof my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters ineach of the views, and in which Figure l is a diagrammatic view of agame board which I employ; and, Figs. 2 and 3 views showing a part oftwo difl'erent sets of blocks or men employed in the playing of thegame.

In the practice of my invention, I provide a board a which, as shown inthe drawing, is square in form, or approximately so'and on which isformeda diagram Z) consisting of a central circular field b and fourconcentric circles 6 6", b and 5, and the concentric circles If, 6 Z1and 72 are connected at four equally spaced points by double radiallines o forming radial strips and at the points where the radial strips0 intersect or cut the circular lines 6 6 b and b are circular spacescl, 6Z2, (Z and 6Z and the circular spaces (Z and (Z are provided eachwith the numeral 2, but the circular spaces cl at the inner ends of thestrips 0 are not provided with numerals. The concentric circles 5*, Zand b are provided at diametri cally opposite points and midway betweentwo of the radial strips 0 with radially arranged circles e, e and c inwhich are placed the numeral 1, and said circles b and b are alsoprovided at diametrically opposite points and between the other tworadial strips 0 with radially arranged cir cles f, f and f in which areplaced the numeral 3. The circles 6 b and Z), in the form shown, aredivided into separate segments or arc-shaped portions 6 o and 6', fourof which are employed, and each of which in the playing of the gameconstitutes a trench, and the radially arranged strips 0 also constituteor form a trench and said strips, in the construction shown, areprovided with the words Cross trench but the circles 03 at the innerencs of the strips 0 are not a part of tiesc trenches. The centralcircular field Z2 bears or contains, in the construction, the wordCitadel and is also provided with a decorative design or figure but thisis not an essential element.

My improved game device also involves two sets of blocks or men, nine innumber, and the blocks or men of said sets are ditterently colored,preferably red and blue, and in Figs. 2 and 3, T have shown, three ofeach set of blocks or men.

The game is played by two persons, one playing the red and the other theblue, and the player of the red first places one of his men on one ofthe circles or spots marked 1, 2 or 3 in either of the three outercircles The player of the blue then places one of his men on another ofthese circles and so on, alternately, until all the men are played.

The object of each player is to get three men of the same color or side,on the circles or spots next to each other numbered 1, 2, 8 or 3, 2, l,or 2, 2, 2, and such a series of spots is called a trench, and whenevera player moves a man onto a circular space or spot which completes atrench or series of three spaces or spots, as above, he takes one of hisopponents men ed the board, a man cannot be taken from a complete trenchnor from any or" the four spots in the inner or citadel circle 5 thesespots'or circles being considered and called safe. 1'

The ultimate object of forming trenches, as above set out, must be bornein mind when first setting or placing the men at the b ginning of thegame, and trenches formed during this operation count the same as in theplaying of the game after the men are placed on the board and a playerso forming a trench may remove one of his opponents men from the board.When all the men are set, the playing of the game proceeds, the red, orthe player having the red one of his opponents men.

men making the first move. A move is made by moving a man or block fromone spot to another in any direction, but the spot moved to must be, avacant one and next to the spot moved from. A man cannot'be moved to aspot already occupied nor can he bejumped over another spot, across fromone circle to another can only be made by iinoving along the cross lines2, 2, 2 as there are no crossings or cross lines at 1, 1, 1 or 3, 3, 3,and a move must be made along the str p lines 0 or along the circularlines Z2,

' b and b. It is not necessary for a player to form a new trench inorder totake oil This may be accomplished by simply moving one man ofthree already constituting a trench to an other position and then movingsaid man back to the previous position, as this again forms a trench andthe player may remove one of his opponents men from the board providedthe opponent has not in the meantime occupied the vacant spot by movingone of his-own men onto it. V

The game is won by one player taking all his opponents men off theboard, or by getting four of his own men in the inner citadel circleentrance to which is made only along the cross lines or strips 0 havingthe numerals 2, 2, 2, and moving from one space or spot cl to anotherspace or spot in this circle is counted a move the same as in the othercircles.

A man cannot be placed in the citadel circle b during the process ofplacing the men .on the board at the beginning of the game but onlyafter all of the men have been placed on the beard and the movement ofthe men on the board has begun and a trench cannot be formed in thecitadel circle 6 In the event of a player having only men left in thecitadel circle he may be forced out of said circle by his opponentmoving thereinto and as the other player must move alternately he willbe gradually. forced out of said circle when his men can be taken offthe board in the regular way.

My invention is not limited to the exact design of the diagram on theboard herein shown and described, nor to any particular color ofthesepa'rate sets of blocks or men,

spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is 2-- 1. In a game device a board providedwith a diagram, comprising a central space inclosed by four concentricspaces formed by four concentric lines and divided by four radiallyarranged lines into equal parts, said radially arranged lines beingprovided where they intersect the three outer concentric lines withsimilar numerals and said three outer concentric lines being providedmidway between said radial lines with radially arranged and similarnumerals.

2. In a game device a board provided with a diagram, comprising acentral space 7 inclosed by four concentric spaces formed by fourconcentric lines and divided by four radially arranged lines into equalparts, said radially arranged lines being provided where they intersectthe three outer concentric lines with similar numerals and said threeouter concentric lines being provided midway between said radial lineswith radially arranged and similar nun'ierals, and two sets ofdifferently designated blocks or men of an equal number each.

3. In a game device, a beard provided with a diagram comprising acentral circular space inclosed by four concentric spaces formed by fourcircular lines and divided by four radially arranged lines into equalparts, said radially arranged lines being provided where they intersectthe three outer circles with similar numerals and said three outercircles being provided midway between said radial lines with radiallyarranged and similar numerals.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 10th day of February,1915.

SYDNEY G. OSBORNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C,

